Micro-listening
Said or Told: Choose the Right Verb
Is the word that necessary after said or told?
Said and told are past forms used to report speech. When reporting a message with told, name the listener directly after it. With said, you can give the message without naming a listener, or add to before the listener. Some expressions, such as told the truth and told a story, do not need a listener.
Key points
- Check your sentence for a listener before picking your verb.
- If the listener appears right after the verb, use told.
- If the message appears directly after the verb without a listener, use said.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Examples
The doctor told my sister that the clinic opened at eight.
Why it works: My sister is the listener, so the noun phrase directly follows told without a preposition.
3 more examples
-
Our supervisor said that the morning project was complete.
Said introduces the reported clause directly because no listener is mentioned.
-
Liam said to his coworker that the printer needed paper.
When said is used with a recipient, the preposition to connects the verb to the coworker.
-
The teacher told the students to review chapter four.
Told introduces the listener followed by an infinitive verb to express an instruction.
Read the full guide
Identify the Listener Before Choosing the Verb
When deciding whether to use said or told, inspect the words immediately following the reporting verb. If the sentence identifies who received the message, the verb told is usually the most natural selection. If the sentence transitions straight into the information, said is the standard option. Developing this scanning habit prevents common structural mistakes.
-
Hannah told the client that our offices were open.
Why it works: The client is the listener receiving the update, placed directly after told.
-
Hannah said that our offices were open.
Why it works: No listener appears, so said introduces the message directly.
Your turn
Choose the correct sentence to report news to an office colleague:
Answer: Daniel told us that the conference room was reserved.
Show the answer
Answer: Daniel told us that the conference room was reserved.
Told takes the listener object directly without the preposition to.
Place the Person Directly After Told
The verb told requires a person or group object to receive the communication. You should never place the preposition to between told and the listener. Common combinations include told me, told him, told her, told us, and told our colleagues. Once the listener is established, you can introduce the news using a that-clause or a simple noun.
-
The mechanic told my father that the brakes were safe.
Why it works: My father is the recipient placed immediately after told without to.
-
The instructor told our class the examination results.
Why it works: Our class is the direct recipient of the examination results.
You can practise this again in Could, would, or should: choose the right verb and Adapt or adopt: choose the right verb.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the correct word order after told?
Answer: The landlord told my roommate that the rent was due.
Show the answer
Answer: The landlord told my roommate that the rent was due.
The person receiving the message follows told directly with no preposition.
Report the Message Directly With Said
Use said when your main goal is simply reporting what was uttered rather than focusing on who heard it. In this pattern, said links directly to a that-clause, a summary phrase, or quoted speech. Omitting the listener keeps the sentence concise and emphasizes the factual statement itself rather than the interpersonal exchange.
-
The weather report said that rain would arrive by noon.
Why it works: Said introduces the weather prediction without mentioning any listener.
-
The pilot said, 'Please return to your seats.'
Why it works: Said introduces direct speech cleanly when quoting exact words.
Your turn
Select the sentence that correctly reports an announcement without a listener:
Answer: The radio broadcast said that the highway was closed.
Show the answer
Answer: The radio broadcast said that the highway was closed.
Said connects directly to the reported clause when no recipient is named.
Add To When Naming a Listener With Said
While told connects straight to a person, said cannot take a person object without help. If you want to name the listener while using said, you must place the preposition to before that person. This construction appears occasionally in formal English and storytelling, though told remains much more common in everyday spoken conversation.
-
The officer said to the driver that parking was prohibited.
Why it works: The preposition to links said to the recipient of the warning.
-
Julian said to his brother that the tickets had arrived.
Why it works: Said requires to before his brother to indicate who heard the statement.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly names the listener when using said?
Answer: Grace said to her neighbor that the storm had passed.
Show the answer
Answer: Grace said to her neighbor that the storm had passed.
Said requires the preposition to before the person who hears the statement.
Use Told to Report Instructions and Requests
When reporting commands, advice, or instructions, told pairs naturally with an object and an infinitive verb. The structure follows the clear sequence of told plus the person plus to and the base verb. We rarely use said for instructions unless we quote the speaker word for word, making told the primary tool for directions.
-
The flight attendant told passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
Why it works: Passengers is the listener, followed by the infinitive to fasten.
-
The coach told our goalkeeper to stay near the goal line.
Why it works: Told introduces the person and the requested action with to stay.
Your turn
Choose the proper structure to report an instruction from a doctor:
Answer: The doctor told me to rest for three full days.
Show the answer
Answer: The doctor told me to rest for three full days.
Reporting an instruction requires told + person + infinitive with to.
Recognize Set Phrases That Always Use Tell
English includes several idiomatic collocations that require tell regardless of whether a listener is specified. Common examples include tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a story, tell a joke, and tell time. In these specific expressions, substituting said sounds unnatural to native speakers, so memorizing them as fixed word pairs is the most reliable strategy.
-
The witness promised to tell the truth during the hearing.
Why it works: Tell the truth is a fixed collocation that does not allow say.
-
My grandfather loves to tell stories about his childhood.
Why it works: Tell stories is an established phrase referring to narrating tales.
Your turn
Which option contains an established English collocation?
Answer: My little cousin learned how to tell the time on an analog clock.
Show the answer
Answer: My little cousin learned how to tell the time on an analog clock.
Tell time is a standard English collocation for reading a clock.
Avoid Common Structural Word Order Traps
Two structural errors occur frequently among English learners: adding to after told, and omitting to after said. Writing told to someone adds an unnecessary word, while writing said someone leaves out a necessary preposition. When revising your sentences, check the verb and the following word together to verify that your phrasing matches standard patterns.
-
Incorrect: The manager told to us that sales were rising.
Why it works: Remove to after told so the listener object follows the verb immediately.
-
Correct: The manager told us that sales were rising.
Why it works: Told connects directly to the listener us without an extra preposition.
Your turn
Which sentence fixes the error in 'The dentist said me to brush twice daily'?
Answer: The dentist told me to brush twice daily.
Show the answer
Answer: The dentist told me to brush twice daily.
Changing said me to told me correctly forms the reporting pattern for instructions.
Notice How Said and Told Sound in Fast Speech
In spontaneous spoken English, both said and told often link smoothly into the following words. The final /d/ sound in told or said tends to attach directly to an initial vowel, making told us sound like /toʊl-dəs/ and said our sound like /sɛ-daʊər/. Recognizing this linking pattern helps you parse reported speech quickly when listening to native speakers.
-
She told us about her vacation plans.
Why it works: The final consonant in told links directly with the vowel in us.
-
David said our shift ended at five.
Why it works: The /d/ in said connects cleanly to our without an intervening pause.
Your turn
How does the phrase 'told us' typically sound in natural connected speech?
Answer: The final /d/ of told links smoothly into the vowel sound of us.
Show the answer
Answer: The final /d/ of told links smoothly into the vowel sound of us.
In connected speech, the final consonant /d/ links to the vowel in the following pronoun.
Use it naturally
How people really use “told”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- told us aboutMaya told us about her new garden.
- told me thatMy brother told me that dinner was ready.
- told everyone toThe guide told everyone to stay together.
- told the truthI told the truth about the broken cup.
What people also say
- “She told me the news.” instead of “She said me the news.” Put the listener directly after told.
- “He said that dinner was ready.” instead of “He told that dinner was ready.” Use said when you report the message without naming a listener.
Questions about "Said or Told: Choose the Right Verb"
Is the word that necessary after said or told?
No, that is optional in conversational English. You can say 'She said she was ready' or 'She said that she was ready.' Both choices are correct and natural. In professional writing, including that often makes the sentence structure easier to read.
He said our flight was delayed.
He said that our flight was delayed.
When should I use said to instead of told?
Use said to when you want to name the listener, especially when quoting the speaker's exact words. Use told followed by the listener when reporting a message or instruction: 'He told me.' Said to is also possible in ordinary conversation; it does not have to sound formal.
Nadia told us about the plan.
Nadia said to us, 'Please wait here.'
Can told take two objects in a single sentence?
Yes, told frequently takes an indirect object (the person receiving the news) followed by a direct object (the information itself). For example, you can tell someone a secret, tell someone a story, or tell someone your phone number without using a that-clause.
The receptionist told our visitor the room number.
She told me an exciting story about her journey.
Does this same listener rule apply to say and tell in the present tense?
Yes, the structural rule does not change with tense. You still place the listener directly after tell (tell him, tells us) and use to after say if you mention the listener (says to him, say to us). You also use says alone to report opinions or headlines.
My brother always gives me good advice.
The weather report says rain is likely tonight.
Before you go
Remember this
Check your sentence for a listener before picking your verb. If the listener appears right after the verb, use told. If the message appears directly after the verb without a listener, use said. Remember that said requires to before a person, while told never takes to before a listener.
Stage 2 of 5
Listen
Hear it in real sentences, from short to long, and write what you hear.
0 of 4 done
Listening 1 of 4
Listening 2 of 4
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 4
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
0:00
Practice complete
You listened closely.
Your result is saved in this browser.
Keep your progress. Your practice is saved on this device only. Create a free account to keep it everywhere.
Create a free accountThat was today's free lesson. Tomorrow you get another one. Want more today? See membership.
Create a free SubLearn account to keep this progress across devices.
Save my progressStage 3 of 5
Speak
Say it with the speaker, then use it in your own answer.
Shadow
Say it along with the speaker
Play the line slowly, then speak at the same time as the speaker. Copy the rhythm, not just the words.
Your turn
Say it your way
Imagine you made dinner at a friend's home and learned a new recipe. Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory. Explain what your friend said about the food, what they told you to do, and how the meal turned out.
Use: said that told
Take ten seconds to think, then answer out loud without looking at the lesson. Speak for the time shown in the task above. Nothing is sent unless you ask for feedback.
0:00
Hear how someone else might say it
Last Saturday, I made dinner with my friend Ben at his apartment. We cooked vegetable soup using his grandmother's recipe. Ben said that the recipe was easy, but I wasn't sure at first. He told me to cut the carrots into small pieces while he prepared the other vegetables. Then he told me to add some water and wait twenty minutes. I wanted to add more salt, but Ben said we should taste it first. The soup was really good, and now I think I can make it myself.
Try once more and answer this: What was the hardest part of making the meal?
Stage 4 of 5
Write
Use what you've learned to write about your day or week, then write a message.
Write
Put it in your own words
- I used “told”.
- It is about my life, not the lesson’s example.
- I read it once aloud to check it sounds right.
Write your own response
Choose a situation and write 30–50 words of your own. In this activity, you decide what to say rather than copy the words in a recording.
Check your own writing
Read one possible response
Use these checks to revise your message. Grammar and meaning are not automatically graded. Each task keeps its own draft in this browser tab.
You finished the free part of this lesson
- Understand
- Listen
- Speak
- Write
- CheckPart of membership
Worth another look
With a free account, the lessons you finish come back for review to help you remember them.Create a free account
Stage 5 of 5 · Part of membership
Check
New clips without hints.
Listening tests are included with membership. Try the free dictation first, then decide whether to continue.
Listening 1 of 2 Part of membership
Listening 2 of 2 Part of membership
Follow MicroEnglish
Find lesson updates, short videos and quick quizzes. Pick the app you already use.
Questions & comments
Ask about this lesson, share an example, or help another learner.
Example
Memory tip
Goes with
Related forms
Not to be confused with
In this lesson
This word isn't in our dictionary. Check the spelling, or try another form of the word.
We couldn't load this word. Try again.
